Panoz Avezzano Completes First Test
Team Panoz Racing completed the first comprehensive Panoz Avezzano GTS test at Road Atlanta last week, ahead of the GT4 spec car’s debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg next weekend.
Team Manager Tom Milner reported that the test was an overall success, but with a lot of work remaining to be done.
Team Panoz Racing has named Stefan Pfeiffer as the team’s race engineer for the Pirelli World Challenge Championship season.
Tom Milner: “After our first two days with a new car, I have to say it’s been a good test. In all of my years of racing, I can’t ever remember having tested a brand new car with so few problems. But it’s not all roses; there’s still a lot to do before we head to St. Petersburg.
“We ended the day with a degree of confidence we’ll do well, and I think that in itself speaks well of the whole crew. The mechanics, the engineers, the designers, everyone at Team Panoz Racing, as well as Ian [James] have all worked very hard and as a team and devoted a lot of hours to get ready. It’s really terrific, and all deserve credit. I am very proud of the team.”
Ian James: “For a new car rollout, yesterday was very successful and today we made continuous progress. We had quite a list to go through. Obviously with any new car you have that. But we went through them and ticked off all the boxes. I’m very happy with the car. It’s very enjoyable to drive, and I’m definitely looking forward to the first race.”
Wright Motorsport Outline 2017 Programmes
Wright Motorsports is entering a pair of full-season Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Pirelli World Challenge.
Porsche factory driver Patrick Long returns to the team for a second season in the lead GT class in the team’s #58 Porsche with Michael Schein taking on the GTA class in the second #16 car.
For the SprintX rounds, Long will be partnered by fellow Porsche factory man Jörg Bergmeister, Schein will be joined by Jan Heylen.
John Wright, Team Principal, Wright Motorsports: “As a team owner, I couldn’t be happier with the depth of our Sprint and SprintX lineups. I’m looking forward to working with Patrick and Jörg as teammates again and very excited to see what Jan and Mike can do sharing a seat in GTA. It’s been a long off season, but now we’re ready to kick things off and take care of some unfinished business!”
Patrick Long: “I’m very grateful to be back for another shot at the championship with the Wright Motorsports team. It’s also great to back in a car with my long time co-driver Jörg Bergmeister. This will be our eighth time running a season championship as teammates since 2004!
“Jörg is a tremendous competitor and always pushes every aspect of the program to be its very best, including his teammate. We’ve shared a lot of very fond memories and victories in the past and have many more to make in the coming races.”
Jörg Bergmeister: “I’m really happy to be sharing a car with Patrick again. The Pirelli World Challenge is going to be a new series for me and I’m excited for the challenge. Patrick has already been very successful in this championship so I’m looking forward to helping him with some unfinished business.
“Working with John Wright and Wright Motorsports is also something that I have done successfully over the years. We’ve already had a very good test with the team and hopefully that will translate to many successful races for us during the SprintX season.”
Michael Schein: “I’m excited to get back to work with the whole Wright Motorsports team in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. We learned a good deal about the GT3 R last year and I expect us to be strong out of the gate. I’m happy to see a few more competitors on the GTA grid for this year. It should make for some good racing.
Sprint X will be a new experience for me, as I have never had to do a driver change. I’m looking forward to sharing the car with Jan.
“We’ve known each other for a few years now and he has been a big part of improving my abilities. We get along very well and I think we will be a strong pairing. Jan is one of the best drivers out there; it will be a great experience being able to compete together. Consistency is key, and it’s my goal to finish as high as possible in the championship this year.”
Jan Heylen: “It’s so nice to finally be a part of the Pirelli World Challenge. Then the fact that I get to do it with Wright Motorsports and Mike Schein makes it even better.
“I’ve been working with John Wright for four years now and started coaching Mike in his first year of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge [2014], so everyone there is family to me.
“Mike is certainly one of the quicker GTA guys out there so I’m confident that we have a great shot at this. It’s also nice to be in a car next to Patrick and Jörg. There will be some good competition within the team and I like that. Now I’m ready to get things started!”
GMG Add Vanthoor to Porsche SprintX Programme
Global Motorsports Group (GMG) team owner James Sofronas Returns for his 15th season of Pirelli World Challenge competition with a full season programme aboard his Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Beyond the five-race Sprint championship, the team has also confirmed that Porsche Motorsport works driver Laurens Vanthoor will partner Sofronas for the opening two rounds of the SprintX championship, with the first SprintX round at VIRginia International Raceway (April 28-30) followed by the subsequent meeting at Lime Rock.
James Sofronas: “It’s great to be back in the Pirelli World Challenge for another season. It’s incredible to think of how the series has grown over the years, and it’s been an honor to be a part of it. Our business has grown with it, of course, and 2017 looks to be a great continuation of that.
“Last year we really enjoyed working with the current iteration of the Porsche 911 GT3 R in its first year of development, and headed in to this year we have a very good understanding of what to expect.
“A big part of that is our relationship with Porsche Motorsport North America, and the addition of Laurens Vanthoor for our opening two SprintX events is a huge demonstration of our mutual commitment to one another. Porsche has been a big part of our business over the years, and bringing in such a talented co-driver is a great opportunity for everyone. I’m really looking forward to St. Petersburg and what should be a great race.”
Flying Lizard Show Off Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Liveries
Flying Lizard Motorsports have always featured standout liveries. their red and silver lizard head became an iconic symbol in the 2000s as the team won multiple championships with Porsche.
The team has now revealed the colour schemes that will feature of their pair of GT4 spec Porsche Caymans due to contest a full season in the Grand Touring Sedan (GTS) class.
Rodrigo Baptista’s #3 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR will sport the red and silver livery in its traditional format, with a silver base over the wheels and on both doors, topped off with the red Lizard emblem. The colours are inverted on the rest of the Spaniard’s car, with a silver lizard on the red hood and red rear bodywork.
Nate Stacy’s career has seen the Tulsa based driver feature bright green in his car liveries almost throughout.
Tying together his signature colours and the tradition of the Flying Lizard livery, Stacy’s #14 Porsche will feature a black Lizard head on top of a green hood, and green rear body work. The doors and front wheel bodywork will be black with a green lizard on both sides.
Darren Law, Program Manager: “We’ve always been proud of our unique livery and logo. To be able to continue to have it adorn our cars in our customer racing program is important to us. Even with the unique changes, it still invokes a sense of pride and reminds our competitors who we are.”
C360R Confirm TCR Audi
C360R returns to Pirelli World Challenge competition with a brand new Touring Car programme featuring the brand new TCR spec Audi RS 3 LMS USA Clubsport in partnership with Pfaff Automotive Partners. Floridian Paul Holton will drive.
“We’re really excited to be working with C360R on this program,” remarked Pfaff Motorsports Manager Steve Bortolotti. “This is a natural progression of a relationship that started a number of years ago with their Audi effort with the S3, R8 and TT RS and has grown to include their McLarens as well.
C360R Team Principal, Karl Thomson: “Pfaff has been a simply incredible partner over the past few seasons, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to be one of the first teams to compete with this new Audi RS 3 LMS.”
Holton competed last season in the Audi TT Cup in Europe. The spec car used in that series formed the basis of the new RS 3 LMS car, and his experience with the platform will provide the team a real advantage.
“Racing in TT Cup last year gave me a lot of seat time getting this front-wheel-drive car into the sweet spot, and I expect we will be competitive right out of the box, especially with support of Brad Kettler and the folks at Audi Sport customer racing,” said Paul.
